Northern Rail unveils new trains to replace outdated Pacers

Embattled train company Northern has unveiled new trains to replace its 30-year-old Pacers.

The first two of 98 new trains went on display in Liverpool ahead of their introduction to passenger service by the end of the year.

They feature free wi-fi, air conditioning, at-seat power and seat reservation systems.

The £500 million fleet will eventually be rolled out across the Northern network, which spans the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and parts of the East Midlands.

Northern plans to replace all Pacer trains by the end of next year.

Pacers were built by mounting an old bus frame onto train wheels.

They were designed to operate on mainly rural routes, but have been used to serve busy commuter towns and cities.

Many passengers complain that they are slow, noisy and have poor suspension.

Northern passengers suffered from major disruption before and after the introduction of new timetables on May 20.

Following the launch of new trains, Northern’s managing director David Brown said: “The quality of what has been delivered is a real landmark for Northern and our customers.

“Now it only remains for us to share these fantastic new trains with our customers, so that they can experience the comfort and the benefits all the new on-board features bring.”

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said: “Over the next few months we will see these brand new, state-of-the-art trains start replace the outdated Pacer trains, providing more seats and better journeys for passengers across the Northern Powerhouse.”